The first licence to offer wireless communication services in the LTE standard in Moscow and the local region has been given to Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (MTS).

A deadline of December 29, 2013, has been set for the company to launch the LTE network, with its licence expiring three years later on December 29, 2016.

The licence, issued by the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications, enables MTS to provide wireless telecommunications services in the LTE TDD (time-division duplexing) standard in the 2595-2620 MHz range.

Vice-president and chief technology officer at the firm, Andrei Ushatskiy, said: "The LTE licence is an important step forward in the advancement of next generation networks in Russia. In late 2011, MTS completed its network modernisation in Moscow, which enables us to quickly roll-out our LTE network in the region.

"Shortly after receiving all the necessary regulatory approvals, MTS will be able to offer its subscribers a full array of wireless telecommunications services through the seamless integration of our GSM, 3G and LTE networks."